1912.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 285 



experimenter, or other disturbing elements. Disregard is a frequent 

 phenomenon in experiments with birds of mixed feeding habits, 

 which are most frequently used because more easily provided for 

 in captivity. These birds have no great natural fondness for insects, 

 and certainly not for adults of the order — Lepidoptera — most 

 frequently used in the experiments. The insignificance of disregard 

 is shown throughout Frank Finn's experiments, in the accounts of 

 which (Journ. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 1895, 1896, 1897), very common 

 expressions concerning cases in which certain butterflies were not 

 eaten in the presence of the experimenter are: "The butterflies 

 were all gone later on," "Next day all the butterflies were gone," 

 etc. In fact, more than 64 per cent, of the butterflies which were 

 left in the cages were eaten in the absence of the experimenter, and 

 more than 77 per cent, of those eaten belonged to the "nauseous" 

 group. The experiments of S. D. Judd (see pp. 332-352) show that 

 disregard bears no particular relation either to acceptances or to 

 rejections, and certainly none to natural preferences. Thus, of the 

 three categories of insects offered to the birds, namely, "warningly 

 colored" insects, others "specially defended," and "non-protected" 

 forms, practically the same proportions (17 to 19 per cent.) were 

 rejected, while the percentage disregarded varied from 3 to 11. 



In Poulton's tabulations of experiments (P. Z. S., 1887) disregard 

 is usually reckoned practically the same as a refusal. Indeed, the 

 original tendency was to consider that disregard showed much 

 greater distaste than any result following trial, for it is pointed out 

 (pp. 193, 194) that the brilliant colors of caterpillars to be of value 

 must generally prevent even trial, because of the fatal consequences 

 to these larvae of very slight wounds. However, Poulton states that 

 out of thirty-seven cases in the "nauseous" group, fifteen were 

 exposed to hungry animals, other food being withheld, and of the 

 fifteen only three remained untasted. Of these two have been 

 shown to be eaten under certain circumstances (p. 225). Poulton 

 estimates disregard properly in one case, that of Lasiocampa querciis 

 larvse. These were disregarded by birds and lizards, and the com- 

 ment on the evidence is, "Neutral as far as the adult larva is con- 

 cerned" (p. 209). As a matter of fact, disregard is no more of neutral 

 significance in this case than in the fifteen others in which disregard 

 or disregard plus acceptance is the sole evidence upon which proof 

 of distastefulness is claimed. The fact that nine of the eighteen 

 insects of the "unpalatable" group are known to be eaten by wild 



